35. They should gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority they should store up grain so the cities will have food, and they should preserve it.
36. This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.”
37. This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials.
38. So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, one in whom the Spirit of God is present?”
39. So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning as you are!
40. You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. Only I, the king, will be greater than you.
41. “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place you in authority over all the land of Egypt.”
42. Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen clothes and put a gold chain around his neck.
43. Pharaoh had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.
44. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will move his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.”
45. Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He also gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.
46. Now Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by Pharaoh and was in charge of all the land of Egypt.
47. During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests.
48. Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it.
49. Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.
50. Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother.